Finding Materials in the Collection | Viewing Films | Using Footage

Spanning almost a century of scientific history on film and tape, the collection of moving images at the American Museum of Natural History illustrates scientific thought and exploration over a period of significant change in the world, its cultures, landscape and biodiversity. Films and video recordings were created by Museum scientists and staff to chronicle expeditions and explorations on every continent, to document Museum exhibition and preparation, to illustrate contemporary scientific discoveries, and to produce programs for public education and entertainment.

AMNH motion picture equipment was first taken into the field by ornithologist Frank Chapman in 1908 and by taxidermist and explorer Carl Akeley in 1909. Akeley later invented the revolutionary panning motion picture camera and tripod that bear his name. A significant portion of the film collection was created during the 1920's and 30's when the Museum sponsored hundreds of expeditions across the globe. Expedition members were required to bring back film footage and Museum trustees and affiliates were enlisted to contribute films from their personal travels. Filming slowed down during the Depression and the war years, until the early 1950's when the Museum collaborated with CBS Television to make the Adventure Series. This live-broadcast television series aired for three years and covered scientific topics of the day.

Today, the Museum holds an annual film and video festival in honor of Margaret Mead, shows IMAX films in the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater, and produces natural history programs in high definition television through the Science Bulletins division of the Education Department.

The Film Collection includes thousands of feet of film footage. Two hundred ninety one (291) titles have so far been identified and cataloged. Video tape copies of title films are available for viewing in the library or through inter-library loan.

The Video Collection includes copies of many of the films shown at the Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival held annually at the Museum since 1977. The video collection also contains television interviews with Museum Scientists, lectures held at the Museum, and productions created for Museum exhibitions.

Finding Materials in the Collection

There are currently three resources for finding information about films in the collection. All three resources listed below provide information about the same films, but the Library's Catalog provides the most detailed information.

• the Film List provides a way to browse the collection and it links to more detailed records from the Library's Catalog
• the Library's Catalog can be searched to find specific films (if you want to search by topic, select the keyword search option and type in your topic. After you get the results click on the button to modify your search, and then select "Films, Videos, and Slides" for the material type -- and then click on the search button again)
• The Catalog of the American Museum of Natural History Film Archives (Garland, 1987) is currently out of print, but it is represented in many large library collections.

The resources above provide information about those films that have been formally cataloged. More items from the collection will be added as they are cataloged.

At this time shot lists are not available.

For information about the video collection please contact the Special Collections Department.

Viewing Films

You must schedule an appointment to view materials from this collection. Please contact Special Collections by phone: 212-769-5420, fax: 212-769-5009, or e-mail: speccol@amnh.org. Copies of videotapes may also be borrowed via interlibrary loan.

Using Footage

The Film List provides an asterisk (*) next to each title that the AMNH holds full rights to -- which indicates that we can license footage from that film. Please contact the Special Collections Department for more information and/or for a price quote on usage fees (telephone: 212-769-5420; fax: 212-769-5009; e-mail: speccol@amnh.org).